


Ōfuri Shorts

by Silver_Hyacinth



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: Baseball Idiots, Cute, Dorkiness, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Implied Relationships, M/M, Multi, One Shot Collection, Relationship(s), Team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-05-08 16:39:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 18,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14698161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver_Hyacinth/pseuds/Silver_Hyacinth
Summary: A collection of one-shots, shorts, and drabbles for Ōkiku Furikabutte. Features boys being boys, Tajima being an idiot, and other such shenanigans with the team of Nishiura High.





	1. Loosen Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abe helps Mihashi stretch and the team teases them about it.

**Character(s):**  Mihashi Ren, Abe Takaya, Tajima Yūichirō, Hanai Azusa, Mizutani Fumiki, Suyama Shōji.

 **Pairing(s):**  Abemiha, and slight hints of Tajihana.

* * *

"Mihashi, you're still not loosening up!" Abe wore an annoyed grimace as he pressed on Mihashi's back, attempting to help him stretch out after practice. "You know your muscles will get messed up if you don't loosen up!" Abe knew he was yelling, as always, but sometimes his pitcher annoyed him so much he couldn't help but yell.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry, Abe-kun," Mihashi stammered in his usual nervous, roundabout way, blinking repeatedly as he shook his arms, apparently trying to loosen up, as Abe had ordered. "I-I'm t-trying."

Abe scoffed, irritated by his nervousness, and turned, leaning the full weight of his back against the pitcher. Mihashi yelped as he was nearly crushed against the floor, struggling to keep himself up by pressing his hands against the floor. "If you loosened up, you could push me back easier!" Abe scolded, and Mihashi stammered out an apology, which only seemed to make the catcher angrier.

The rest of the team watched them with amused interest from where they were setting up the futons, Tajima, in particular, looking like he was about to pass out from how hard he was trying not laugh, while Hanai watched him disapprovingly. "Tajima, cut it out," he ordered, arms crossed with a stern look on his face. "It's not funny. You know they do this after every practice and every game. You should be used to it by now."

Tajima paused, as if thinking about it, but then shook his head, snorting as he once again tried to stifle laughter. "Nope, it's still funny."

Hanai rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to setting up the futons with Mizutani and Suyama, ignoring both the giggling clean-up hitter, and the bickering catcher and stammering pitcher duo. Sometimes he wished his team would just act their age, but unfortunately, that was too much to ask.

"MIHASHI!" The team winced in sympathy for Mihashi: It sounded like Abe had finally lost what little semblance of patience he had left. "IF YOU DON'T LOOSEN UP RIGHT NOW I WON'T LET YOU PITCH THE NEXT GAME, GOT THAT?!" He faltered as Mihashi unavoidably started crying at that, and he stood there looking shell-shocked, one hand half-raised like he wanted to comfort the pitcher, but unsure of what to actually  _do_  to achieve that task. "Uh, Mihashi, I'm sorry... I didn't mean—"

But it was too late; the waterworks were in motion. Mihashi sat up and hugged his knees to his chest, full-out bawling now. Abe looked completely helpless, a conflicted look on his face. Hanai rolled his eyes and continued to lay out the futons, shaking his head.

"Mihashi, I—" Abe clenched a fist and gritted his teeth in annoyance as the pitcher continued crying. "Would you  _stop crying already_?! I didn't really mean it!" He sighed and tugged a hand through his hair, calming down a little. "Listen, you can pitch the next game. You pitch  _all_  the games; that'll never change, okay?"

The pitcher sniffled and looked up at him. "R-r-really?"

Abe let out a breath and rolled his eyes. "Yes, really. I promise. Now can you stop crying so we can get back to stretching?" He held out a hand to his pitcher, wanting to get back to work. Mihashi nodded and wiped his eyes, a watery smile on his face as he accepted Abe's hand and the catcher pulled him to his feet. Abe positioned himself behind and reached around Mihashi to grab his arm, almost hugging him.

This was when Tajima inevitably decided to butt in. "Ooh, things are gettin'  _steamy_  in here!"

Mihashi jumped, flushing and blinking several times. "T-Tajima-kun, w-wha—"

Meanwhile, Abe's red face adopted a look of pure anger as he slowly released Mihashi's arm and raised a threatening fist. "Ta—ji—ma," he growled in a low voice, a dark aura growing around him as he took a threatening step towards the clean-up hitter.

Tajima yelped as Abe chased him all around the room, with Mihashi watching them with his signature confused expression, waving his hands every which way, as if unsure what to do. Hanai sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. _Sometimes I wonder how we've made it this far with that idiot Tajima on the team, even if he is a great hitter..._ He gulped and shivered. _I just hope Abe doesn't kill him..._


	2. Underclassmen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new additions to Nishiura's baseball team idolize Tajima—far too much, in Hanai's opinion.

**Character(s):**  Tajima Yūichirō, Hanai Azusa, OC.

 **Pairing(s):**  Tajihana.

* * *

Nishiura had gained quite a few more players during their third year. That, of course, was great: Hanai was thrilled that they continued to grow and improve with the addition of the new members. It was great for the strength of the team overall, and he was obviously glad about that. There was just  _one thing_  he didn't like about all the new player...

"Wow, Yūichirō-senpai, that hit was  _amazing_! Can you teach me how to bat like that?"

Hanai grimaced in annoyance. It was  _that_. Many of Nishiura's underclassmen worshiped Tajima  _far_ too much. Not only  _that_ : they were already calling the cleanup by his first name. It had taken  _months_  for Hanai to be able to do that, and there they were doing it in their  _third_  week as members of the team! It drove him absolutely  _insane_.

Logically, he knew it shouldn't have made him so mad; but for some reason, every time one of the Freshman or Sophomores touched, complimented, talked to, or even  _looked_  at Tajima, Hanai felt like punching them in the face. One underclassman in particular nearly made him blow a gasket: a Freshman called Matsubara Akiyama.

Matsubara was one of those people who everyone seemed to like the  _instant_  they met him. He was kind, gentle, shy, and tried to get along with everyone. To add to that, he was one hell of a runner, too. Plus, his looks weren't half bad, either: he had a small, athletic build; blue eyes; dark hair; and long, thick eyelashes. Hanai had heard half the girls at school fangirling over him during lunch. Which, of course, only made him hate the guy more.

From his current spot at first, he could see the kid talking with Tajima on second, which made him grit his teeth in irritation. That wasn't a good thing, considering they were in the middle of a game—and he was _on base_. He should've been totally focused on the game, but with Matsubara standing so close to Tajima, Hanai felt the intense urge to run over and drag the kid away from what was rightfully his.

Of course, reasonably he had nothing to worry about: their relationship was solid. Everyone on the team was aware of and respected it, and Hanai knew Tajima would never cheat on him. But still, the Freshman's  _obvious_  attempts at flirting had long since begun to piss Hanai the hell off. It was bringing out his possessive side more than ever.

"Lead, lead, lead, lead..."

Hanai snapped out of his angered daze. That's right: he was supposed to be focused on the game. Watching Tajima inch off second, his own feet tingled in anticipation. The rival team's pitcher's ball was thrown at the batter—Izumi—and Tajima's feet left second. He made a mad dash for third, the other team shouting for an out.

Hanai himself made a run for second, easily taking it while the opposite team scrambled to tag out Tajima. Luckily, the cleanup was too quick for them and his foot landed on third a second before the ball hit the glove. He looked over at Hanai and flashed one of his typical wide grins, which made Hanai roll his eyes but smile back like an idiot nonetheless.

Maybe he could deal with the underclassmen... But only as long as Tajima kept smiling at him like that, and  _only_  him.


	3. Typo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abe makes an embarrassing typo and Tajima has some fun.

**Character(s):**  Abe Takaya, Mihashi Ren, Tajima Yūichirō.

 **Pairing(s):**  Abemiha.

* * *

It was a typical night for Abe. After practice (and grilling Mihashi to eat properly), he went home and showered, ate with his family, and got his homework out of the way before getting ready to go to sleep. Everything happened as it usually did, until he was lying in bed and his phone buzzed with a text from Mihashi.

 **From:**   _Mihashi Ren_   **at**   _8:46 PM_.

**Message:** _Abe-kun, Kanō said that he and his catcher learned this routine that the pros do to warm up! How cool is that?!_

Abe snorted, unable to keep a small smile off his face as he typed out a reply.

 **To:**   _Mihashi Ren_   **at**   _8:48 PM_.

 **Message:** _Yeah, I've heard of that. Maybe I'll show you some time._

At least, that's what he thought he said. Reading it over, a feeling of dread settled in Abe's stomach and he sat bolt upright.  _Wait... No... Crap, crap, crap!_

**Message:** _Yeah, I've heard of that._ _Maybe I'll strip you some time_ _._

Abe straightened, running a hand through his hair with a gap of utter horror. "Oh no, no, no, no,  _no_!" He collapsed against his headboard, shaking his head vigorously. "Oh god, kill me... Just kill me..." He hugged his knees to his chest and hid his face in them. _This is horrible! He's already nervous around me as is, and with that stupid mistake..._  He let out an angered growl and reached out to punch the wall, collapsing on his stomach with a defeated groan.  _He'll never be able to speak or even look at me ever again... What have I done?_

***  *  *  *  ***

While Abe was silently suffering by himself in his room, Mihashi was gaping at his phone in complete shock. Tajima peered over his shoulder, reaching for the device impatiently. "C'mon, Mihashi, what'd he say?" the cleanup whined, struggling to see the screen. Eventually, he successfully snatched it from the shell-shocked boy's hand, reading over the message quickly.

He burst into violent fits of laughter, gripping his stomach. "Oh, wow, I had no idea Abe was so bold!" he managed to gasp out, hitting the floor with a fist as he struggled to regain his composure. "This is too good... Oh man."

Mihashi still hadn't moved, holding his hand up and blankly staring at the palm the phone had been taken out of as if it were still there. Finally seeming to process the words, his face turned a bright shade of red and he began stuttering incomprehensibly. "A-Abe-kun— Kanō said— Technique— I j-just— S-strip? I d-d-don't—"

Tajima swung his legs back and kicked himself into an upright position. Grabbing the phone from where he'd dropped it, he patted the shaking pitcher on the shoulder gently. "Don't worry, Mihashi: I got this." He started typing, a grin on his face—which Mihashi might've noticed (and been worried about) if he wasn't still blabbering, unable to form a single coherent thought.

***  *  *  *  ***

**From:**   _Mihashi Ren_   **at** _9:04 PM_.

 **Message:**   _Oh yeah? Why don't you then? Meet me in the dugout after practice ;)_

Abe's mouth let out a sound somewhere between a squeak and a cough. "Wha..." He felt his brain short-circuiting trying to process the words. "N-no way..." He rested a hand on his forehead and shook his head violently. "Mihashi would never say something like that. He wouldn't."

He gulped and clasped the phone tightly between his hands.  _But... what if he really..._  Abe shook his head again and slapped his cheeks twice for good measure.  _No way. No way, no way, no way._  He tried to reason with himself.  _Maybe Mihashi doesn't know what 'strip' actually means... Yeah, that must be it. He must think it's a baseball term or something._ _Yeah, so I can go and diffuse the situation calmly and clearly, right?_  

Abe scowled at the phone. After a second of glaring, he snatched it up and furiously typed out a reply.

 **To:**   _Mihashi Ren_   **at**   _8:48 PM_.

 **Message:** _Fine, but only to do some extra stretching. Make sure you eat a good breakfast, and you better weight yourself before practice!_

He sent it and let out a breath of relief, collapsing back on the bed and throwing an arm over his eyes.  _I have to remember to always proof-read texts from now on..._

***  *  *  *  ***

The next day, Abe hovered around the dug-out after practice, waiting for his pitcher with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. When the boy finally showed up, he was being dragged by Tajima, who roughly shoved him into the dugout before turning and sprinting full-speed across the field.

His only chance of escape gone, Mihashi turned to face Abe, shifting from foot to foot, red-faced and averting his gaze. "Um, A-Abe-kun, I-I, um..."

He continued stammering and Abe grew increasingly annoyed. After another few minutes of "I"s and "um"s, he growled and slammed a fist against the railing behind Mihashi. "Spit it out already!"

"Y-you can— You can s-strip me if you want!" the pitcher yelled, his face steaming red.

Abe stumbled back a step, feeling a flush creep up his neck when Mizutani and Sakaeguchi turned to look at them from the field. " _Idiot_ , keep your voice down! Do you even know what you're saying?"

"T-Tajima-kun t-told me to..." Mihashi trailed off, unshed tears shining in his eyes.

Abe growled, clenching his fist so tightly he felt his knuckles pop. "That damn bastard... I should've known Tajima was behind this." His gray eyes turned sinister. "When I get my hands on that little... I swear I'll wring his scrawny neck!" He stormed off across the field in the direction Tajima had gone, muttering angrily to himself.

Mihashi stood in the dugout, watching him go in confusion.  _Tajima-kun told me it was about baseball, so... why is Abe-kun so mad?_


	4. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abe and Hanai always tended to be the jealous type.

**Character(s):**  Abe Takaya, Mihashi Ren, Tajima Yūichirō, Hanai Azusa.

 **Pairing(s):**  Abemiha, Tajihana.

* * *

"Ooh, look at this one, Mihashi! You could go pro with a mitt like this!"

Mihashi pressed his face against the glass beside the cleanup with an awed expression. "Yeah!"

Behind the two excited boys were their boyfriends, who were alternating between watching over them and grumbling about the freezing weather. It was around Christmas, so everyone was bundled up in coats, mittens, hats, and scarves, but it didn't do much: their cheeks were bright red from the cold.

None of this seemed to slow down Mihashi and Tajima, who were busy running from window to window admiring all the different goods being sold, leaving Abe and Hanai a full ten feet behind them. The catcher and captain were already breathless from struggling to keep up. It had been an hour already, and Mihashi and Tajima  _still_  seemed to be full of energy.

The newest object of their attention was a sporting goods store, where they were admiring a sleek black baseball glove, their faces pressed against the window, breath fogging up the glass.

Hanai blew on his gloveless hands and leaned against a nearby bike rack. "Think we should go back soon? If we don't reign them in now, they'll be at this for another few hours."

Abe shrugged, eyes never leaving Mihashi. "Dunno. We might as well let them tucker themselves out, right? That way they won't be up all night."

"I guess that's true," Hanai mused. "Eh, why not? Maybe we can get some dinner, too. That'll be sure to tire them out."

Abe nodded in agreement but before he could say anything, Mihashi ran up and grabbed his hands, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet like a kid on a sugar high. "T-Takaya, can we get some hot chocolate?" He pointed across the street at a small stand selling warm drinks and roasted nuts, smiling in a way that made Abe's knees weak.

He couldn't say no to that face. "Sure, Ren. Why don't you and Tajima go over? We'll be there in a second."

The pitcher nodded enthusiastically before running full-speed across the street with Tajima right beside him. Abe shook his head and leaned his forearms against the bike rack beside Hanai, letting out a tired breath. "I don't know how they have so much energy, especially considering how  _tiny_  they are... I'm dead on my feet."

Hanai snorted. "True, but those two are probably the ones that work the hardest during practice. Figures they'd have a lot of energy, don't you think?"

"Ha, I guess so." The two boys stood there looking across the street at Tajima and Mihashi. They were scrutinizing the board beside the stand, presumably trying to figure out which drinks to get. Abe sighed and adjusted the scarf around his neck—a present from Mihashi the previous winter. "Think we should go over?"

"Probably," Hanai said through a yawn, stretching his arms above his head. "I just hope they tire out soon... I'm exhausted."

"You can say that again," Abe muttered, pushing away from the bike rack in preparation to cross the street. He paused, resting a hand on Hanai's arm to stop him. "Hey, look."

Across the street, two girls were chatting avidly with Mihashi and Tajima, wearing obviously flirtatious smiles. Hanai narrowed his eyes when one of them reached out and touched Tajima's arm. "Do we know them or something?"

"No, we don't," Abe said slowly. He let out a huff when one of the girls sidled closer to Mihashi. "Oh, hell, I'm going over there!" He started speed-walking across, leaving Hanai far behind.

"Wait for me, you jerk!"

When he reached the opposite side of the street, Abe made a direct beeline for Mihashi, gray eyes dark and stormy. "Hey, Ren!"

The pitcher jumped nearly a foot in the air and whipped around like a deer in headlights. "Uh, T-T-Takayaa?" he stammered, holding his hands up as if Abe were a ticking time bomb. "Wh— what's... w-wrong?"

Abe ignored him, marched straight up to the ginger-haired boy, and kissed him full on the mouth. The blush that crept up the pitcher's face was about sixteen different shades of red. When Abe pulled away, he was left a stammering mess, unable to form coherent  _thoughts_ , let alone sentences. "W-w-wha-what—"

Ignoring him—and the shocked, embarrassed expressions on the girls' faces—Abe grabbed Mihashi's hand and wordlessly dragged him off down the street the way they had come. He wasn't sure where Tajima and Hanai went, but he could care less at the moment. He still felt like he wanted to punch something.

About a block later, Abe stopped abruptly and turned to grab Mihashi by the shoulders. He leaned forward to look him directly in the eye, causing the pitcher to shift nervously. "Wh... what... is it?"

"Mine." Abe said it only once, clearly and sternly, before he leaned forward and kissed Mihashi long and hard, leaving the pitcher breathless and dazed when he pulled away. " _Mine_ ," he repeated decisively, as if waiting for an answer.

After staring back stupidly for several seconds, Mihashi straightened and nodded quickly, eyes wide. "Y-yes!" He broke into a huge smile before repeating himself. "Yes!"

Abe nodded once to himself before grabbing Mihashi's hand. He resumed walking, slowing his pace down so the pitcher could stay right next to him. He was still smiling happily like an idiot. Reaching over, Abe flicked the boy on the forehead.

" _Owww_ , Takaya!" Mihashi complained, rubbing the spot with a pout. "What w-was _that_ for?"

"Don't talk to strangers," Abe muttered irritably, feeling himself fume at how possessive he was being.

Mihashi laughed and pressed his shoulder to Abe's. "I promise I won't!"

As they continued walking down the street, a light snow began to fall, coating the streets with a thin white powder. Not far away from them, Hanai and Tajima walked through a back way, heading for Tajima's house. Hanai's scarf was pulled up to his chin to hide his blush.

Next to him, Tajima was laughing, the sound ringing brightly through the streets. "I can't believe you and Abe _really_ did that!" He walked closer and bumped Hanai's shoulder with a teasing smile. "I had no clue you were the jealous type, Azusa."

"Shut up," Hanai muttered, eliciting a snicker from Tajima.

"Aw, it's alright," the cleanup hummed happily. "Besides, I thought it was kinda cute."

Hanai turned his head away to hide how red he was getting. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just don't let girls flirt with you ever again, got it, Yūichirō?"

"Aye aye, captain!" Tajima reached forward and grabbed Hanai's hand. "Besides..." He flashed a wide, genuine smile. "You're the only one for me!"


	5. Bribery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tajima is a dangerous person when he has two-thousand yen and an idea in his head.

**Character(s):**  Abe Takaya, Mihashi Ren, Tajima Yūichirō, Haruna Motoki.

 **Pairing(s):**  Abemiha.

* * *

"Haruna!" At the exclamation, the Musashino pitcher turned around to find Tajima Yūichirō running up to him with a wide grin on his face.

"Uh... hey." Haruna was unsure why the tiny cleanup was talking to him, considering they'd never spoken more than two words to each other before, but he prided himself on being a good upperclassman. "Can I help you with something, kid?"

The boy stopped in front of him with a mischievous grin. "Actually, you _can_. I have a little favor to ask. You know Mihashi, right? Our pitcher? You guys are sorta friends, aren't you?"

"Um, yeah, I guess so..." Haruna scratched the back of his head, unsure where the line of questioning was going. "I give him pointers sometimes. But what's he got to do with this 'favor' you want to ask?"

Tajima grinned devilishly, making even  _Haruna_  a little nervous. "Well, see, it's really more of a _business proposition_... Just for my own personal curiosity. And to mess with Abe."

"Oh?" Haruna had to admit he was intrigued. "And what might that be?"

***  *  *  *  ***

Abe leaned his elbows against the railing of the dugout, scrutinizing the other team across the field. They were getting ready for a game against a group of Juniors, so Abe was more than a bit wary. "Mihashi!" When the pitcher didn't immediately appear beside him stuttering out a nervous response, Abe turned around with an annoyed click of the tongue. He glanced sharply around the dugout, but the flighty ginger was nowhere to be found.

Spotting Tajima leaning against the bench, Abe yelled over to him, "Tajima, where'd Mihashi run off to?"

The cleanup propped his leg on the bench, resting his elbow on his knee but not directly meeting Abe's gaze. "Oh, I think he's in the bathroom. He was saying something about feeling hot, so he went to splash some cold water on his face."

" _What_?" Abe exclaimed, pushing past him with a scowl. "Why didn't he tell me?!" He stormed off toward the bathrooms, muttering to himself irritably, "I  _swear_  if he's got heatstroke and he didn't tell me... Dammit Mihashi." He pushed the door open and stomped inside, eyes sweeping the room for the familiar head of ginger hair.

He paused, eyes narrowing in confusion when he caught sight of two figures up ahead. He recognized both of them, but his brain was struggling to analyze the position they were in. One had cornered the other against a wall, resting a hand beside his head. Abe let out a strangled noise, his brain finally catching up to his eyes, and pointed an accusatory finger at the dark-haired boy. "Haruna, w-what the  _hell_  are you doing?!"

The tall pitcher turned to glance back at Abe with a casual smirk. "Oh, hey, Takaya! What's up?"

"Don't 'Hey, what's up?' me!" Abe yelled. "What the hell is going on? What are you even doing here? And why do you have Mihashi pinned against a wall?!" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You're not threatening him, are you?"

Haruna held up his hands innocently. "Hey, relax: I'm not _threatening_ him."

"Then... what are you doing?" Abe asked carefully, edging closer. He eyed Mihashi, who was still pressed against the wall looking noticeably terrified. "Mihashi, you okay?"

"He's _fine_ ," Haruna scoffed, crossing his arms. "Geez, Takaya, relax." Glancing at the clock on the bathroom wall, he rolled his eyes. "I better get going. See you guys around." He took a step away but paused, as if remembering something, and turned back to whisper in Mihashi's ear.

Abe stiffened when the smaller pitcher turned his face away, stammering something unintelligible. Haruna moved away and walked past Abe with a nonchalant wave. The catcher watched him go warily before rushing over to Mihashi's side. He looked shell-shocked. "Mihashi, are you okay?"

Mihashi stammered out a response that Abe couldn't understand, which only made him worry more. "Hey, what'd he say to you?" He gripped Mihashi's shoulders tightly. "He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"N-no," Mihashi stammered. "He said... Take me to... h-his p-p-place—"

He covered his face with his hands while Abe struggled to decipher his broken speech. "What? Mihashi, you're going to have to be clearer than that."

The pitcher shook his head quickly. "I c-c-can't... You... him... a-ask—"

Abe let out an annoyed breath. "Ask Haruna? Fine. You stay here and cool off." He stormed out, looking around for signs of that bastard Haruna. He was going to kick his teeth in when he found him. To make Mihashi so nervous he must've threatened him in some way. That was the only explanation.

Finally, he caught sight of him up ahead, leaning against the tunnel exit. Abe was just about to call out to him angrily when he saw a familiar person talking quietly to the Musashino pitcher: _Tajima_. Abe quickly pressed against the wall and carefully edged closer to them, until he was barely within earshot.

"—do it?" Tajima was asking.

Abe frowned and leaned closer.

"I did it alright." Haruna shook his head, snickering into his hand. "I don't know how you knew that would set him off, but it was priceless. You should've seen Takaya's _face_."

"Wish I coulda! What line did you use?"

" _Psht_ , I didn't use a line," Haruna dismissed. "I just invited him over to my place for, y'know, a little horizontal tilt-a-whirl. I think it did its job just fine, although the poor kid probably won't want to speak to me ever again, so thanks for that."

Abe made a choking noise in the back of his throat. _Haruna did what?!_  He covered his mouth afterward, but it was too late: Haruna and Tajima turned around and Abe dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes before they could see him.

It worked: they turned away again, but Abe felt his fists clench in anger.  _Why would Haruna say something like that to Mihashi?_  He gritted his teeth, glaring daggers at the bastard's back.  _I'm going to kill both of them!_


	6. Sharing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mihashi wants to be lovey-dovey and Abe just can't say no.

**Character(s):**  Abe Takaya, Mihashi Ren.

 **Pairing(s):**  Abemiha.

* * *

"L-Look, Takaya... it's a... a Dango stand." Mihashi's eyes were practically  _radiating_ excitement. Abe watched him with an amused smile. He hardly ever saw that side of his pitcher, and it was rare times like those that he enjoyed watching it come out. "Can we get some, can we get some?!"

It was a warm spring day and they were out in the park for a date. The sun was shining and the sky was a clear, cloudless blue: the perfect day to spend outside. Mihashi, surprisingly, had been the one to invite Abe out, but he couldn't say he really minded. They'd been dating for over a month, and Mihashi was still struggling not to be nervous around him, so it was a pleasant surprise for him to initiate.

Mihashi had taken to bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, grabbing Abe's hands with a pleading look. He sighed, trying to hide his pleasure, and nodded gruffly. "Sure, that's fine." Mihashi cheered and started dragging him towards the aforementioned stand, beaming like a kid on Christmas. Abe hid a smile behind his hand.

The pitcher may have been skittish and nervous most of the time, but around Abe, he was getting less and less tongue-tied. Abe, in turn, was getting better at controlling his short temper. Although their relationship was still in the early stages, they both seemed much happier being together—Mihashi especially.

The excited boy came to a stop by the Dango stand and surveyed the menu while Abe stood beside him with his hands in his pockets, studying the pitcher rather than the menu. It took him a moment to realize that Mihashi was staring at him, and another to put together the words he was saying. "Takaya, what... what kind do you want?"

"Oh, uh..." He glanced at the board, tracing the different options. He honestly hadn't ever tried Dango, so he wasn't sure which kind was the best. "Just get me whatever kind you like."

"Oh, o-okay!" Mihashi took the money Abe handed him and raced over to order, talking animatedly with the man behind the counter. Abe sat down on a nearby bench, crossing his arms and watching the excited pitcher. He was unbelievably cute when he was excited... Abe wanted to take a picture of his smile and put it in his wallet, or may put it on his desk at home.

* * *

 

After he had handed the man the money, Mihashi received two small wrapped packages and raced over to Abe, falling into a sitting position beside him. He handed over one of the wrapped packages with a smile. It was so fun being outside on such a nice day with him. "Here!"

Abe took it from him and they both unwrapped their packages. They dug in, lapsing into comfortable silence, the only sound that of quiet chewing. Mihashi looked around, surprised by all the other people out and about in the park. There was another couple on a bench across from them. The girl was feeding her blushing boyfriend, giggling happily while he lightly teased her.

Mihashi glanced over at Abe, fiddling with the last piece of Dango on his stick. "Hey, Takaya..." He trailed off, poking the stick into the edge of the bench.

The catcher glanced over at him with a raised brow. "What?"

Mihashi grimaced, the stick breaking when he pressed it too hard against the bench. "Um, do... you think we could..." He puffed out his cheeks in embarrassment.

Abe rolled his eyes. "Ren,  _what_?"

The pitcher fidgeted uncomfortably. "Could we m-maybe..." He clenched his fists in his lap, face reddening. Abe kept staring at him, clearly waiting for the punchline. Mihashi held his breath and decided to quickly spit it all out in one go. "C-could we maybe d-do that?!" He pointed across the sidewalk at the couple on the other bench.

Abe followed his finger and his brow traveled even higher. "What? You mean... you want to _feed me_?"

Mihashi nodded, letting out a relieved breath. "Yes!"

The nervous catcher scratched his cheek and looked away, a blush staining his cheeks. He just couldn't bring himself to say no to Mihashi when the boy looked so happy. "I— I guess that would be fine..."

Mihashi cheered, reaching for his last skewer of Dango. Abe blushed even further when he held it up, cupping one hand underneath to prevent it from falling, smiling at him the whole time. "Abe, say _aah_!" The phrase only made his face redden more, but Abe complied anyway, glancing to the side in embarrassment. Abe bit the sweet that was pressed to his lips, trying to hold back a girly squeal.

Pulling away with a huge smile, Mihashi took a bite out of the next one in line, humming happily to himself.

Abe was watching him from the corner of his eye, face flaming red. Sometimes Mihashi was just too cute for his own good...


	7. Put A Ring On It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tajima proposes to Hanai in the most Tajima way possible.

**Character(s):**  Tajima Yūichirō, Hanai Azusa, mentioned Nishiura team members.

 **Pairing(s):** Tajihana.

* * *

It was a cool spring evening in Japan, a mild breeze blowing through the streets, rustling the tops of trees and sending loose leaves fluttering across the road. The sun was setting, and the Nishiura boys were heading home from practice. The pack was lead by Sakaeguchi, Oki, Mizutani, and Izumi, with Suyama and Nishihiro next to them. Behind  _them_  were Abe and Mihashi, who were walking close together, having a whispered conversation (with Abe doing most of the talking, of course). And at the very back of the pack of boys were Tajima and Hanai.

Tajima was telling jokes while Hanai listened (with rising annoyance), trying not to hit the cleanup over the head. But if Abe could be patient with Mihashi, then Hanai could be patient with Tajima. After all, they'd been going out for about four years now. He figured it was probably at least a  _little_  important to build up his immunity to Tajima's childish antics.

And, lucky for him, the boy got distracted  _very_  easily. "Ooh, Azusa, look!" The cleanup ran ahead of him, pointing at a small candy store. Hanai rolled his eyes, coming to a stop beside the boy and waving the rest of the team on ahead when they glanced back with questioning looks. "Yūichirō, you're eighteen years old. We are  _not_  going into a candy store."

"But  _Azusa_ ," Tajima whined, turning around with wide puppy-dog eyes (Hanai inwardly cringed. He could never say no to that look.), "I  _really_  want to!"

The captain let out an annoyed  _tch_. "Okay, fine. But you can only get one thing." He let out an annoyed sound seeing the cleanup's eyes firmly trained on the candy store, wearing a goofy smile on his face as he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet in excitement. "Yūichirō, did you hear me? One thing.  _One_. "

"Uh-huh, uh-huh, sure," Tajima replied, running ahead. "Let's goooo!"

Hanai sighed, knowing he hadn't heard a thing, and followed after dejectedly.

***  *  *  *  ***

"I  _said_  one thing," Hanai mumbled, letting out an exhausted sigh. He and Tajima were walking towards home once more, but Tajima had (as Hanai suspected) completely ignored him, and was toting an armful of bags packed to the brim with colorful candies of every size, shape, and flavor. Currently, his attention was focused on a half-gone bag of gummy bears, which he was stuffing into his mouth with great delight.

"C'mon Afusa," he mumbled, words muffled by the gummy bears. "Lif a wittle."

Hanai face-palmed, letting out a noise of exasperation. Tajma, seemingly unperturbed by his boyfriend's obvious vexation, finished the gummy bears and tossed the empty package in a garbage can before digging through the bags for more candy. He stopped by a bench, placing the bags down and digging both hands in. "Hey, wait a sec."

Letting out a long sigh, (uselessly) trying to convey his irritation to the cleanup, Hanai obeyed, sitting down heavily on the bench. He rested his head on the back of it and looked up at the sky, which was clear and covered in thousands of bright white stars. "Make it quick. The sun's set already."

Tajima let out a noise of consent as he continued digging through the bags, brows furrowed. Hanai let out another sigh and turned to stare back up at the sky, closing his eyes. He was almost falling asleep when he felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. "Hey, Azusa."

"Hmmm?" Hanai opened one eye lazily, but the other quickly followed, squinting questioningly at the cleanup, who was standing in front of him with a grin that frankly made him a bit nervous, one hand held behind his back. "What is it Yūichirō?" he asked nervously, straightening his back in order to be eye-level with the boy.

With a mischevious grin, Tajima got down on one knee, revealing his hidden hand with a flourish. Held between his thumb and forefinger was a strawberry ring pop, already out of the wrapper (which was weird, considering Hanai didn't remember him buying ring pops). "Will you marry me, Azusa?" Tajima asked dramatically, placing one hand on his heart as he held the 'ring' out to a startled Hanai.

The captain felt himself blushing. "Um, w-w-wait a second... Yūichirō, you're joking, right?"

The boy grinned widely. "Nope. So, what do you say?" He raised an eyebrow. "Marry me?"

"You're—" Hanai struggled to speak. "You're seriously proposing to me with a _ring pop_?"

Tajima smiled, one of his genuine, rare smiles, which still made Hanai's heart flutter, even after years of seeing it. "Yes, but it's a  _special_  ring pop." He met Hanai's eyes and pressed the candy gently into his hand. "See for yourself."

Brows furrowing in confusion, Hanai held up the ring pop and looked at it. His eyes widened, and he quickly peered at it even closer, just to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Inside the ring pop was a  _real_  ring: a simple, elegant golden band. Hanai could see it through the semi-clear red surface of the candy.

" _How_ did you—" He took a deep breath, trying (unsuccessfully) to breathe normally. This was happening. This was really,  _actually_  happening. He covered his mouth, feeling tears threatening to fall. "Are you serious? You— you aren't joking, are you?"

Tajima laughed, standing. "No, I'm not joking." He carefully took back the ring pop and once again knelt in front of him. "So, Hanai Azusa, will you marry me?"

Hanai  _did_  actually start to cry then, but did his best to ignore it, wiping at his eyes furiously. "Of course, you idiot. _Of course_ I will."

"Good." Tajima grinned and carefully slid the ring pop onto Hanai's finger. "Because I can't imagine life without you."


	8. Thunderstorm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mihashi is deathly afraid of thunderstorms: How could he not tell Abe about this?!

**Character(s):**  Mihashi Ren, Abe Takaya, Tajima Yūichirō.

**Pairing(s):** Abemiha.

* * *

"Ah... what a nice night."

Mihashi rested his elbows against the sill of his open window and gazed up at the moon, which was full and bright in the clear night sky. The pitcher was home along, his mother out on a girls night with a couple other mothers from the team, and he was just getting ready to go to bed, pausing to admire the beautiful full moon that hung low in the sky above Japan.

He gave a contented sigh and rested his chin in his hand. He loved clear nights like this when the moon was out and all the stars were visible. Since Mihashi—although he would never admit this—wasn't fond of thunderstorms, it was a relief to see that the night was completely clear, with no hint of clouds or rain.

Feeling himself yawn, Mihashi laughed and stretched, pushing himself away from the window. "Guess it's time for bed!" He happily got into his pajamas and rolled into bed. He was so relaxed, happy, and worn out from practice earlier that day that he was asleep before he could even cover himself with a blanket.

***  *  *  *  ***

It wasn't the cold that woke him. No, Mihashi noticed that last. It wasn't even the bright flash of lightning that illuminated his room like a spotlight. It was, instead, the loud boom of thunder that seemed to shake the very earth underneath him, jolting him out of his pleasant dream of baseball and into the cold reality; a thunderstorm.

There was a blissful moment of half-awake dreariness when Mihashi wasn't afraid, but then another boom shook the world, and he felt a spike of cold fear driven into his heart. He was completely bare, not protected by anything but his loose tank-top and shorts, and he was too frozen with fear to move a muscle.

How could this be? The night was clear when he went to sleep. When had this storm started brewing?

A wild howl of the wind and another crack of thunder made Mihashi whimper, and he realized with a start that his window was still open, his floor soaked with water, and branches from the tree outside brushing against the edges, threatening to creep inside.

Mihashi knew he couldn't leave it open. The faint thought that remained in the back of his head was that Abe and his mother would kill him if he caught a cold from leaving a window open during a storm. Unsteadily, he got to his feet, his whole body shaking like a leaf, cold sweat trickling down his neck.

He made it to the window somehow and was reaching out to close it with a trembling hand when another crack of thunder sounded, so loud it seemed to reverberate in Mihashi's ears. He yelped, feeling tears stream down his face, which was now wet from the rain pouring through the still-open window.

Still shaking uncontrollably, he managed to shut it, but as soon as it had been latched, thunder came once again, even louder than before, sounding like a rampaging beast about to tear up the earth. Mihashi let out a panicked cry and stumbled as he ran for his bed, tripping and landing head-first on the floor. He dragged himself the last foot, half-pulling himself up before another flash of lightning and boom of thunder came, degrading him to a sobbing, terrified heap.

He barely managed to reach for the phone on his nightstand, another flash of lightning blinding him. His fingers closed around it; he managed to dial a number and held the phone to his ear with a shaking hand. It rang once, twice, three times. No thunder. A click. A tired voice asking something.

***  *  *  *  ***

Abe heard the ringing first, insistent and annoying; too annoying to ignore. With a tired, annoyed sigh, he fumbled for his phone in the half-dark, eventually finding it with the help of a flash of lightning (when had that started?). He squinted at the caller ID in confusion before answering. "Mihashi? Why are you calling me so late?"

"A-A-Ab-be..." Mihashi's voice was a strangled mess of tears and panic, and Abe immediately jolted upright in bed, feeling at once concerned and alarmed. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"T-t-th-thu-th-thu—" Before Mihashi could stutter out the rest of the word, thunder boomed from outside, seeming like an angry god yelling from the heavens. Abe heard Mihashi cry out on the other end of the line and asked, panicked, "Mihashi? Mihashi,  _are you okay_?"

The boy didn't answer, and a second later, the line cut, leaving Abe listening to a dial tone. He cursed and threw off his blankets, stumbling in the dark to find his clothes. "That idiot. He better not be hurt." He cursed again, more creatively this time. "Knowing him he probably slipped and fell on something!"

He stumbled down the stairs and pulled on his shoes at the door, dialing a number on his phone as he slipped out into the rain and got on his bike. He held the phone to his ear with one hand as he rode towards Mihashi's house, squinting to see through the dark cloak of the rain. The phone rang a few times before someone answered, sounding tired. "Yeah?"

"Tajima, where is Mihashi?" Abe demanded harshly.

"Um... his house?" Tajima asked in confusion. The cleanup yawned. "Probably hiding somewhere."

"Hiding?" Abe demanded, turning down a side street that would lead him to Mihashi's house faster. "Why?"

"That kid's freakin'  _terrified_  of thunder," Tajima said sympathetically. "Must suck right now, especially since his mom's out all night and he's home alone. But why do you a—"

Abe hung up on him and put his phone away with an angry growl. _That idiot. Why didn't he tell me he was afraid of thunder?! And why did he say he was fine by himself? He should've told me!_  He continued angrily ranting to himself until he reached Mihashi's house and skidded to a halt, throwing his bike on its side in the muddy grass.

***  *  *  *  ***

The front door was locked, but Abe quickly unearthed a spare key from under the mat and let himself in, kicking off his soaked shoes and making his way up the stairs towards Mihashi's room. Thunder shook the house, and the dark hallway was eerily illuminated by flashes of bright white lightning. Abe made it to Mihashi's room and pushed open the door, ready to yell at his pitcher for not telling him about this.

But the words dried up in his throat when he saw the poor boy curled up in the fetal position on the floor by the bed, rocking back and forth and sobbing. Abe was shocked seeing him like this. Sure, the boy cried all the time, but nothing like this. These were tears of pure fear, and he was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Abe made his way towards him carefully, feeling a sudden wave of calm. He knelt beside him and gently reached out a hand. "Hey, Mihashi..." The boy jumped and shied away from him, shoulders shaking with loud sobs. Abe tried again, successfully resting his hands against Mihashi's narrow shoulders.  _He's trembling so badly..._  "Ren."

Mihashi started hearing his name and finally looked up at Abe, his amber eyes still leaking tears. He tried to say something, but no sound came out. His face crumpled again and with another loud sob, he sunk forward, collapsing against Abe's chest. Pushing aside his moment of shock, the catcher wrapped his arms around him, pulling Mihashi clean into his lap, holding him like a child.

"Shh, it's alright," he soothed the crying boy, somehow knowing what to do. "Ren, it's alright; it's just a little thunder. You're safe."

Mihashi hugged him, his thin arms shaking. He shook his head against Abe's shirt, unable to say anything as thunder continued to rumble outside. Gradually, though, his shaking lessened, and his breathing grew evener. After a while, Abe carefully picked him up, surprised at how light he was. (He'd have to drill him about his weight again later.)

He set the pitcher down carefully, tucking the blankets around him, and turned to retrieve his phone from the ground, where he had apparently dropped it in panic, as it now lay in two pieces. But Mihashi grabbed his sleeve, startling him. He looked back to find those beautiful amber eyes brimming with tears again. "Takaya"—his whispered name shocked him—"please... don't leave me. Please... stay..."

"I—" Abe struggled to speak, feeling his throat suddenly close up. He coughed to clear it and knelt by Mihashi's bed. "I won't leave you. I promise." Taking a deep breath, making up his mind, he abandoned the phone and pulled back the covers to crawl in next to Mihashi. He thought the boy would shy away, but instead, he pressed close to him. Abe could feel the warmth from his shaking body and wrapped his arms around him as he had done before, refusing to be embarrassed.

He buried his nose in his pitcher's hair and closed his eyes. "I'll protect you," he mumbled, the warmth from Mihashi's closeness and the wool blanket making him drowsy again. "You don't have to be afraid... ever again..." With that last, exhausted proclamation, the two boys fell asleep, curled close together, their combined heartbeats drowning out any sound the thunder could've made.


	9. Jacket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanai lends Tajima his jacket (and never gets it back).

**Character(s):**  Tajima Yūichirō, Hanai Azusa, mentioned Nishiura team members.

 **Pairing(s):** Tajihana.

* * *

"It's so freakin' cold!" Tajima complained, rubbing his arms up and down, teeth chattering. It  _was_  cold, being the middle of November and all, but it was a sudden type of cold. It had been unusually warm all month, staying from 15 to 20 Celcius, but that morning, it had spiked down to nearly -3.

Tajima, of course, hadn't been expecting this, and worse his usual T-shirt and shorts to practice. The uniform had offered a bit of protection with the pants, but as soon as he'd changed, he went back to being freezing. Hanai, being the prepared boy that he was, had brought a jacket, and so was not suffering from this problem. He was, instead, watching Tajima with a condescending smile. "I told you to always bring a jacket just in case, didn't I?"

The cleanup huffed in annoyance and glared at the ground, watching a leaf get blown away by the wind. "Yeah..."

"And do you ever listen to me?" Hanai prompted. Tajima puffed out his cheeks and mumbled, "No," dejectedly.

Hanai sighed seeing the boy so down in the dumps (even if he was an idiot), and carefully removed his jacket, tossing it over the batter's head. "Here, put it on." He blushed as Tajima grinned at him and shouted his thanks. "We have a game coming up and you're one of our best players, so I can't have you catching a cold..." He cleared his throat and buried his hands in the pockets of his jeans with a slight blush. "Anyway, make sure you give it back to me on Monday."

"Will do!" Tajima said happily, breathing a sigh of relief as he snuggled into the warm jacket. Pure  _bliss_...

***  *  *  *  ***

On Monday, Hanai waited for Tajima outside the locker rooms after practice, arms folded and shoulders hunched against the cold, which still hadn't gone away. Several of his teammates walked by—Mizutani and Izumi, Sakaeguchi and Nishihiro, and finally, Abe and Mihashi, followed after a moment by Tajima. Hanai quickly reached out and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him to the side. "Hey, Yūichirō!"

"Hey!" Tajima replied, unfazed. "What's up?"

"My jacket," Hanai demanded, looking him up and down as if searching for it. "Where is it?"

"Oh, um..." Tajima rocked back on his heels with a sheepish smile. "I forgot it at home. But I'll bring it tomorrow, so don't worry!" he rushed on as Hanai glared at him. He let out an irritated breath and gave a curt nod. "Okay, fine, but make sure you don't forget."

Tajima danced backward with a grin. "I won't! Promise!" He turned and sprinted off with a wave. "See ya later!"

***  *  *  *  ***

When he got home that night, Tajima sagged against his bedroom door with a tired yawn. He threw his bag on his desk and smiled when he saw Hanai's jacket resting on the back of his chair. He reached over and snatched it up, glancing around as if to make sure no one was around before slipping it on and humming happily as he basked in the warmth and Hanai's scent, which still lingered on the fabric.

Tajima thought he might have to forget it again tomorrow.


	10. Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To Abe, Mihashi's hands are a work of art.

**Character(s):**  Mihashi Ren, Abe Takaya, mentioned Nishiura team members.

 **Pairing(s):** Abemiha.

* * *

"See you guys later!"

"Yeah, s-see you!" Mihashi waved at his friend, Tajima Yūichirō, with a small smile. He had had his teammates over at his house for a studying session, Tajima being the final person to leave, aside from Abe, who was spending the night because Mihashi's mom was out of town, and she didn't want him by himself.

He was exhausted from practice and studying, and a heavy feeling of fatigue hung over him as he closed the door after the cleanup, covering his mouth as he let out a loud yawn. Abe watched him with arms crossed from where he leaned against the kitchen table, where their studying materials were still spread out haphazardly.

Abe was watching the boy carefully, trying to determine his physical state, as had become a habit for the catcher. "Oi, Ren, come over here."

The pitcher jumped hearing his name—he was still getting used to using first names with the team—and quickly stumbled over to Abe, stopping in front of his catcher and shifting nervously from foot to foot. "Y-yes, T-Takaya-kun?" He blushed and fidgeted as the pitcher carefully scrutinizing him. A flash of color by Mihashi's side caught his attention, and the catcher immediately reached out and grabbed his hand. "Hey, what is this?!" he pointed accusingly at the band-aid on the inside of Mihashi's ring finger and the pitcher jumped with a nervous squawk. "U-u-um, t-that's— Uh, w-w-well t-that's— Um..."

Growing impatient, Abe gave an annoyed  _tch_  and peeled off the band-aid to get a look at what was hiding underneath. "Ren!" He jerked the boy forward by the hand, nearly knocking him over, carefully surveying his finger. "When the hell did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?!"

"It's n-n-not a big d-deal, T-T-Takaya-kun, I p-p-pr-promise," Mihashi stammered, bouncing from foot to foot, afraid Abe was mad at him. "I just c-cut myself c-c-cooking, a-and..."

Abe growled and pulled him forward again, gently running a finger along the cut. "Mihashi, you can't hide things like this from me! What if it had become infected from pitching with a dirty baseball, huh? You might've not been able to use it for who knows how long!"

"I— I had a b-band-aid on it, so I t-thought..." Mihashi trailed off as Abe glared at him and looked at the ground, sniffling. "I— I'm s-sorry, Takaya-kun... I'm f-fine, I s-s-swear..."

Abe ignored him and continued assessing his hand, running a finger between his ring and middle finger carefully, being careful not to brush the cut and cause the boy pain. At first, he was solely focused on the cut, but then those familiar calluses drew him in, and he couldn't help but slide his fingers against Mihashi's palm, carefully feeling the rough skin there. He ran his fingertips across the pitcher's fingers next, carefully feeling and identifying each callus and what it was from.

Mihashi's hands really were a work of art. Years and years of practice,  _endless_  practice, had made these; each one was a product of Mihashi's unwavering dedication to his craft. This one here, from that month he'd spent improving his forkball; and that one, from all the fastballs Abe had him throw during practice. It made him both proud and sad: Proud because he knew how hard-working his pitcher was, and sad because it brought up memories of the past he'd had, where he'd been treated like a weakling and had been driven to endless practicing because of it. It made Abe's blood boil just thinking about it.

"U-um, Takaya-kun..." Abe was jolted out of his intense concentration and looked up, startled, to find his pitcher blushing furiously. "Uh, w-what are you..."

Abe quickly dropped his hand, his own cheeks tinged pink, and coughed. "Uh, I was just— Sorry." He cleared his throat and turned around, shuffling his supplies blindly, just wanting to have something to distract him from what he'd just done. "You need to put antibiotic ointment on that before bed, and make sure the bandage is on tight so it doesn't fall off, got it?"

"U-um, yes..." Mihashi lingered for a moment more before stumbling off to do as instructed. Abe rested a hand on his red face. _I'm an idiot..._

***  *  *  *  ***

Later that night, Mihashi sprawled out on a futon beside Abe in the living room, pciking at the fresh band-aid on his finger. Abe shot him a glare. "Quit that." The pitcher immediately obeyed, placing his hands in his lap and shifting nervously, looking anywhere but at Abe.

Growing annoyed by this, the catcher scoffed and threw a pillow at him, knocking the ginger-haired boy clean over. "Go to sleep, Ren. We have practice tomorrow."

"R-right!" Mihashi flopped down on his futon and pulled the covers over his legs, closing his eyes as Abe reached over and flipped off the lamp, settling down on his own futon with a tired sigh. he tried to close his eyes, but his mind couldn't keep quiet. He stared at the shadows on the ceiling, frowning pensively as he thought about something.

Finally, after about ten minutes of this, he turned on his side and nudged Mihashi in the back with his heel. "Hey, Ren, give me your hand."

"Hu..." Mihashi yawned and rolled over to face him, eyes barely open, and reached out a hand to him. Abe gripped his palm and traced a callus on his pinkie, ignoring his stirring heart. "Hey, listen..." He paused; bit his lip before continuing. "You know you're the ace, right?"

"Mmm," was Mihashi's mumbled response, only a sliver of amber iris showing that he was still awake.

Abe continued, now more relieved, figuring he probably wouldn't remember any of this in the morning, but still needing to say it anyway. "Your hands are special, Ren. These hands... they make you the ace. You pitch with these fingers, practice to make their aim more accurate..."

He squeezed the boy's hand, looking at him earnestly. "They're beautiful." He lost his nerve after that and flipped around to face the other side, blushing fiercely. At least he wasn't lucid during any of that...

"Takaya." The word was quiet and sleepy, but it held not a single hint of stammering. "Thank you."

Abe turned his head to look at him, but the boy had fallen asleep already, mouth open wide and body relaxed, breathing even and slow. He turned back around and fisted his hand in his blankets with a slight flush. He could still feel those calluses under his fingertips, even though they were no longer touching.  _Those hands..._  He closed his eyes and let out a breath.  _They'll lead us to victory... They really are true works of art._


	11. Spiders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mihashi is incapable of killing insects so, therefore, Abe must man up and do it for him.

**Character(s):**  Mihashi Ren, Abe Takaya.

 **Pairing(s):** Abemiha.

* * *

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The scream startled Abe so much he jumped and fell right off his chair, landing on his back like a turtle. He grimaced and got up just in time to be knocked over by a blur of ginger hair and flailing limbs. "ABE-KUN ABE-KUN ABE-KUN ABE-KUN ABEEEEE-KUUUNNNN!"

Abe got to his feet with an irritated look and peered around to find Mihashi clinging to his back like a koala, arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders and legs around his middle, amber eyes wide with terror. "What?" he said in an annoyed tone, glaring at his frightened pitcher. The boy's lip was trembling, and his eyes were shining, threatening to tear up. "S-s-s-sp-sp-spi-sp-spi—"

"Spit it out!" Abe ordered, annoyed by the ginger-haired boy's stammering.

Mihashi squeezed his eyes shut in fear. "SPIDER!"

Silence, until... "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Abe yelled, throwing up his hands with a look of utter irritation on his reddening face. "Mihashi, I swear to God!"

The pitcher stammered an apology, and Abe tried to lower his voice, realizing he was shouting again. He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm down. "Okay." He let out a sharp breath, shoulders squaring. "Okay. Where is it?"

"The b-b-bathroom," Mihashi whispered, hiding his face in Abe's shoulder. He was still clinging on to him like a sloth on a tree branch. "We have to g-g-get it."

Abe sighed again and started walking, trying not to throw Mihashi over his head like a sack of flower. He ducked into the bathroom, which was lit brightly by the sun streaming through the skylight in the ceiling. He peered around for the aforementioned spider, squinting in sinks and peering in corners. Finally, he found it in a web in a high corner, and—with little to no ceremony—reached up and plucked it off the web, lifting it up by a single leg and heading into the hallway.

Mihashi's head had moved to his other shoulder to be farther away from the spider, and Abe's brow quirked in annoyance as he opened up a window and carefully set the spider outside, where it quickly scurried away. He closed it again and looked back at the pitcher still attached to his back. "There, it's gone."

Carefully, with the utmost care and hesitation, Mihashi lowered his feet to the ground and released Abe, clinging to the hem of his shirt and nearly pressing his face against the window as he looked outside as if to make sure the creature was gone. Seemingly satisfied, he gave Abe a wide, bright smile. "Thank you, Abe-kun!"

Abe blushed and scratched at his cheek, suddenly shy. "No problem..." he muttered, spinning on his heel. "Just... don't shout like that again."

"I won't!" And the boy was off, skipping happily back down the hallway now that his spider issue was dealt with, leaving Abe standing in the hallway, blushing. "What an idiot..." he muttered to himself, trudging back down the hallway to his room, but not quite able to get rid of the blush still lingering on his cheeks.


	12. Umbrella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A freak rainstorm? Of all the times to forget an umbrella...

**Character(s):**  Mihashi Ren, Abe Takaya, mentioned Tajima Yūichirō and Hanai Azusa.

**Pairing(s):** Abemiha, slight Tajihana.

* * *

"It's... raining." Mihashi peered out from under the dugout overhang, watching as long streams of rain dripped from above, mixing on the ground to create muddy puddles of dappled watery brown. Thunder rumbled, and off in the distance, lightning flashed across the horizon. Streams of people walked past dressed in school uniforms, clustered together in close-knit groups, laughing and sharing umbrellas.

"Oh, yeah." Tajima leaned against the railing beside him, craning his head back and sticking it outside the dugout. He shook his head as a raindrop landed between his eyes and pulled back with a snicker. "Ha, I love the rain! Don't you, Mihashi?"

"Y-yeah," the pitcher nodded in agreement. "I-it's fun to— to b-be out in..."

"Definitely!" Tajima hummed happily. "Oh, hey, Hanai!" Spotting the captain exiting the locker room, the cleanup sprinted over to him and jumped onto his back, laughing as he tried to shake him off. "Hanai, I forgot my umbrella! Walk home with me?"

Mihashi turned back around as the pair walked off into the rain bickering, resting his chin in his palm and staring out at the rain, watching the drops splatter against the ground, creating large puddles. "Oi, Mihashi!" The pitcher jumped nearly a foot in the air, whipping around with a breathless gasp to see the familiar scowling face of his catcher staring back at him. "Mihashi, let's go. If we don't leave now, we could get rained in."

"O-oh!" Mihashi jumped again before giving a quick, sharp nod. "R-right!" He followed after Abe as the catcher left the dugout, pulling out a black umbrella and opening it, shielding himself from the rain. Mihashi paused, staring out at the rain nervously, clutching his noticeably empty hand to the strap of his bag.

Abe looked back at him, clearly annoyed. "Mihashi, hurry up!"

The boy jumped and looked down, biting his lip. "U-umbrella— I d-d-don't—"

With a growl, Abe stomped over to him and wordlessly pulled him under the umbrella by the strap of his bag. "Share mine then. Geez. Come on, before the rain gets heavier." He started walking, and Mihashi struggled to keep up with him and stay safely under the umbrella. "U-um..." He glanced over at his catcher nervously. "T-thank you, Abe-kun!"

"Yeah, whatever," the boy grunted in response, slowing down so Mihashi didn't have to walk so fast. "You should've brought an umbrella. It's April, so it rains a lot. You should be more prepared."

"R-right," Mihashi mumbled dejectedly. "Sorry..." He shivered slightly, feeling the rain drip from the top of the umbrella and cascade down onto his wet shoulder. Abe rolled his eyes and pulled him closer, nearly flush against his side. "Mihashi, you'll get wet if you stand on the edge."

Mihashi stammered out an apology, blushing in embarrassment as he looked down at the ground, where large puddles were slowly beginning to gather. Abe rested his elbow against Mihashi's shoulder, shifting the umbrella to the center. The rain continued to fall, growing steadily heavier, and before long, the two boys were obscured completely by the blur of the storm.


	13. Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mihashi gets a job at a cafe: Abe likes coffee?

**Character(s):**  Mihashi Ren, Abe Takaya.

**Pairing(s):** Abemiha.

* * *

"Oh, A-Abe-kun, I didn't know you liked coffee." Mihashi blinked up at Abe curiously from behind the counter, causing the catcher to fidget nervously. "Um, yeah... I like coffee," he mumbled, surveying the menu and trying to keep his eyes off the pitcher. Of course, this was a lie. He didn't  _really_  like coffee. It was too bitter for him, and it left a gross aftertaste in his mouth. But no  _way_  could he tell Mihashi the real reason he was there...

After he ordered, he stepped to the side and watched the ginger duck around one of his coworkers with an absentminded smile on his face, humming to himself as he started gathering what he needed to prepare Abe's drink. The catcher watched him twirling around the kitchen, biting his lip. The uniform for this particular cafe consisted of a pair of black jeans and a tight white shirt, along with a green apron embroidered with the shop's logo, and all of it seemed tailored to make Mihashi (in Abe's opinion) look as good as possible. Which was (also in his opinion) rather unfair.

Why did the idiot have to get a job at a  _coffee shop_  of all places? And why, oh  _why_  was the uniform so  _hot_?! It was like the whole world was against him. Abe figured he would probably develop a premature stomach ulcer because he was 100% sure this cafe was going to be his regular hangout from now on and if he just sat there and didn't order anything it would be creepy, so he would be forced to consume copious amounts of caffeinated substances.

Mihashi began humming to himself as he stood on his tiptoes and reached up on top of a shelf to grab something, shirt riding up at the bottom to show the tiniest sliver of his pale abdomen, and Abe groaned inwardly, nearly smacking his head against the table. As the pitcher bent over to throw something away he actually  _did_ , and his forehead landed with a painful  _thwack_.

"A-Abe-kun, are you alright?" a concerned voice asked from above, and Abe blearily lifted his head to find himself face-to-face with the ginger-haired pitcher. He jumped and sat up quickly. "Y-yeah, I'm fine!" He was almost shouting and tried to calm himself down, but this was increasingly hard to do with  _Mihashi_  in  _that uniform_  that hugged him in _all the right places_  standing  _this close_   _to him_.

"Here's your drink." Mihashi set the cup down in front of him—not seeming to notice how red he was becoming—and brushed a few stray strands of hair out of his eyes, slightly breathless from running around the kitchen, and Abe nearly jumped him right there, but instead managed a weak, "Thank you."

"No problem. Let me know if you n-need anything else." Mihashi smiled—one of those rare, closed-eye smiles that made his nose crinkle and Abe's heart do flips—and waved at him before turning to head back to the counter. Abe took a sip of his drink, watching as Mihashi took someone's order, wearing an automatic smile, one of the ones that were typically plastered on his face around strangers, cordial but slightly confused, even though there was really nothing to be confused about.

_God help me._  He sighed and lowered his head again.  _I've fallen in love with an idiot._


	14. First Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Although they may not remember it, Abe and Mihashi met once before...

**Character(s):**  Mihashi Ren, Abe Takaya.

 **Pairing(s):** Abemiha.

* * *

The first thing Abe heard was the crying. Weak, quiet little sniffles, almost like a kitten. He paused in his running—chasing after a stray baseball—and cocked his head to the side, listening, brows furrowed in concentration. Ignoring his friends' angry shouts that he had let the ball go, Abe focused on the crying, tracing the sound to its source.

Behind a tree not far away sat a small boy, curled up with his head buried in his knees, body shaking with quiet sobs. Without hesitation, Abe knelt beside him, prodding him gently in the side with his baseball glove. "Hey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

The boy jumped, head whipping up, amber eyes sparkling with tears. He was pretty, Abe realized; almost like a girl, with messy ginger hair, a thin frame, and thick eyelashes. "I—" He sniffled, wiping his face frantically, trying to rid it of any evidence of tears. "I wasn't c-crying!"

Abe's brow ticked in annoyance and he tugged on the boy's arm. "Yes, you were."

This only seemed to make things worse, and the boy's face scrunched up as he started to bawl again. Abe sighed and sat back on his heels, peeling off his baseball mitt. He remembered something his mom always told him; _Whenever someone is sad, you just have to grab them and hold on tight!_  This was coupled with a squeeze that would make him squeal and dissolve into fits of giggles. But nonetheless, it did work, he supposed.

With little to no hesitation, Abe scooted closer and wrapped his arms around the trembling boy, squeezing him tightly, as his mother always did. He smelled good, too, Abe realized. Like strawberries and sugar. And despite his shivering and quaking, he was very warm, like a heated blanket.

He seemed hesitant of the hug at first, but after a moment, he gripped Abe's back tightly and sobbed into his shoulder. Abe guessed he'd gained his trust, because, between sniffles, he finally told him what was wrong. "I"—sniff—"lost m-my mom, and I c-can't find her..."

Abe patted his back. "I can help you look if you want?"

"Would you"—sniff—"...w-would you really?"

"Sure." Abe pulled back, keeping his hands on the boy's shoulders, and gave him a determined look. "I'll help."

"T-thank you..." The boy wiped at his eyes and offered a watery smile. "I-I'm Ren."

"I'm Takaya," Abe responded, getting up and pulling Ren along with him. "Come with me and we'll find your mom."

"O-okay..." Ren shuffled along after him, Abe leading him by the hand, and they started exploring the park. Abe would point at someone every once in a while and ask Ren if they looked familiar, but the ginger always shook his head after thinking for a moment, and they would move on.

Finally, towards the fountain in the center of the park, a woman caught sight of them and bolted over, grabbing Ren in a hug, bawling like an infant. "Oh, Ren, my sweet little boy! Don't ever wander off from Mommy like that again!" Next, she turned to Abe and hugged  _him_ , thanking him so many times the words started to sound weird in his ears. And then she was dragging Ren away.

Abe watched him go, and Ren craned his neck around to wave and smile at him, and then he was gone. Abe turned and started walking the way they had come, for some reason hoping that he would somehow see him again one day.


	15. Stretching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abe and Mihashi make the rest of the team uncomfortable with their morning stretches.

**Character(s):**  Abe Takaya, Mihashi Ren, mentioned Nishiura team members.

 **Pairing(s):** Abemiha.

* * *

"Ah— T-Takaya-kun, I c-can't take much m-more of this..." Mihashi gasped out, body covered in sweat and face flushed.

"It's alright, Ren, I'm almost there," Abe grunted back.

" _Ahhhh_ ~" Mihashi let out a loud groan. "I— I c-can't go a-anymore—"

"Hang in there, we're almost done," Abe panted, muscles straining from exertion.

The whole team was watching them uncomfortably from their own spots scattered around the field, most of them looking utterly mortified while Tajima and Izumi were snickering and Mizutani looked miserable. "I think my ears are bleeding," he complained with a pout. "Someone,  _please_  tell them to stop..."

Hanai pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly 1000% done with the situation. "Hey, can you guys stretch normally over there please?"

Abe glanced up, his hands spread on Mihashi's lower back, pushing him forward as far as he could go. "Sure." He turned back as Mihashi let out another loud—oddly sensual—groan. "We are though?" he muttered to himself as he returned to the task at hand, causing the team to face-palm and cringe as Mihashi let out another guttural noise.

Tajima's grin widened into a Cheshire-like smirk, and before Hanai—who recognized that look—could stop him, he cupped his hands around his mouth to shout over at Mihashi and Abe. "Hey, guys, can you stop? It sounds like a porno out here!"

Abe shot him a glare. "Shut the fuck up, Tajima. See, look; you made him nervous. Ren, just relax." The last comment was directed at the flushed pitcher, who tried to do as instructed and let out a yelp as Abe shoved him further forward. "Takaya-kun, i-it really h-hurts... I t-think I m-might break..."

"Loosen up, then," Abe instructed gruffly. "It'll be easier that way."

By this point most of the team had given up and retreated to the dugout, leaving only Tajima, Hanai, Mizutani, and Izumi left. Mizutani was still covering his ears as Izumi helped him stretch him out, wearing an amused smile. "I wonder if it's even  _possible_  for them to stretch in a non-sexual way," he contemplated, causing Tajima to burst into a fit of wild cackling, broken by a yelp as Hanai grew annoyed and rammed his face into the dirt by pressing an elbow into his back forcefully. " _Ow_! That hurt, Azusa!"

"Then stop acting like a five-year-old watching a PG-13 movie and focus on stretching," the captain grumbled back, clearly irritated. Izumi snickered as he switched places with Mizutani and started stretching. The left fielder was making a face as the loud panting and grunting continued from behind them. "Ugh, okay, I think it's about time to wrap up the stretching..." He pushed himself to his feet and practically sprinted Road Runner-style into the dugout, closely followed by a giggling Izumi.

Hanai let out a deep, exhausted sigh. "I swear, I lead a team full of idiots..."


	16. Spooning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Wait... you're saying spooning doesn't have anything to do with food?"

**Character(s):**  Nishiura team.

 **Pairing(s):** Abemiha, Tajihana, Mizumi, Sakaeyama.

* * *

"Wait... w-what's spooning?" Mihashi blinked at his friend in confusion, in the middle of pulling his shirt over his head.

Tajima shot him an exasperated, disbelieving look. " _Mihashi_! Do you seriously not know what spooning is?! I thought  _everyone_  knew!" The pitcher shrank back with a nervous shake of his head, and Tajima clucked his tongue in disapproval. "Oh my God,  _seriously_. It's common knowledge!"

"Not necessarily," Mizutani muttered from the other side of the locker room, where he was placing his shoes in his bag. "I have no clue what spooning is."

"Me neither," Sakaeguchi chimed, followed by mumbles of agreement from the rest of the team (save for Abe and Izumi, who had deemed the conversation unworthy and decided to stay out of it).

Tajima looked around at each of them as if they had suddenly grown another head. "Not you too, Hanai?!  _Guys_ , I can't believe this! Do I  _really_  have to explain it to you?"

"Yes please," Mizutani peeped quietly.

Tajima rolled his eyes, slinging his gym bag over hsi shoulder as he made for the exit, heading for the bike racks, followed closely by his teammates. "Okay, so basically, spooning is just hugging, but like in a specific  _way_..." He trailed off with a slight frown. "It's kinda hard to explain in words."

"Wait... you're saying spooning  _doesn't_ have anything to do with food?" Abe grumbled, speaking up for the first time since entering and exiting the locker room.

" _No_ , Abe." Tajima shot him a look. "Geez, you guys really  _are_  clueless. I thought at least  _one_  of you would know what spooning is."

" _I've_  heard of it," Izumi piped up from beside Mizutani, earning a surprised look from the left fielder. "Oh, don't look so surprised, Fumiki. We cuddle plenty, so why would you not—" The rest of his sentence was cut off as a wide-eyed Mizutani covered his mouth with a blush, earning snickers from the rest of the team.

Tajima did seem a little relieved having at least  _one_  person know what spooning was but still seemed intent on filling in the other members of the team, turning to walk backward so he could talk to them face-to-face. "You know what, guys, why don't we all go over to my house and I'll teach you how to do it?"

"Eh... I'm game, I guess," Izumi said, the first to respond. After one person agreeing, the rest quickly followed, although Abe showed some reluctance, but was eventually swayed by Mihashi asking him to come along. And so the boys headed to Tajima's house, leaving their bikes on his front lawn and heading inside.

***  *  *  *  ***

"My parents are out shopping right now, so we can use the couch," the cleanup proclaimed, dropping his shoes and bag by the front door and heading into the living room, followed by his friends after they too ditched their stuff. Tajima turned on them with a wide grin, resting his hand on his chin as he looked between them all, causing the boys to fidget nervously. Eventually, his eyes settled on someone, and he pointed at them. "Izumi, why don't you go first, since you're clearly an expert?"

Izumi sighed loudly. "Fine, whatever." He grabbed a flustered Mizutani by the arm and dragged him over to the couch, standing in front of it and looking back at Tajima with an eyebrow raised, as if waiting for permission.

The cleanup danced over and stood to the left with his hands on his hips. "Alright, even though they know how, I'll guide them so you guys get an instructional."

He studied the two boys with a pensive expression. "Eh... Izumi, you first." As Tajima said his name, Izumi lay down on the couch on his side, looking bored, followed by Mizutani, who lay in front of him looking like he wanted to die and/or murder Tajima and Izumi for making him do this. "Okay, guys, look at their positioning. This is the proper form for spooning."

The team looked on with expression ranging from confused to curious as Tajima instructed Izumi to wrap his arms around Mizutani, which he did, fitting their bodies together like puzzle pieces and resting his chin on the center fielder's head. "Boom; perfect spooning." Tajima gestured at the boys with a grand flourish before turning to address them directly. "Okay, guys, that's good. Let's let them try it now."

Mizutani and Izumi extracted themselves from the couch—Mizutani still blushing like a fine southern lady—and stepped back to make room for the next victims, which happened to be... "Abe, Mihashi, you're up!"

While the pitcher jumped hearing his name and shifted nervously from foot to foot, the catcher simply looked annoyed and crossed his arms with a scoff. "Why are we doing this again? It's stupid. I have homework I could be doing instead of this crap."

"Abe, come on: Spooning is an important life skill." Tajima placed his hands on his hips and pointed at the couch. "Now get over here and lay down."

With a loud, dramatic sigh, Abe stomped over to the couch and mimicked Izumi's earlier position, laying on his side on the couch, glaring up at Tajima, who turned to Mihashi with a smile. "Now you, Mihashi!" The pitcher jumped again and took a cautious step towards the couch, hovering in front of it nervously. Abe, growing impatient, clicked his teeth in annoyance and grabbed the boy's wrist, pulling him down. "Hurry up, Mihashi. The sooner we get this over with, the better."

The pitcher let out a squeak as he was pulled to Abe's chest, his face blooming a bright red, his body shaking from nerves, mouth open as if he was silently screaming. Tajima held back a snicker with his hand seeing that Abe was also blushing, which was unusual for the stoic catcher. "Good job, guys. Next up is Sakaeguchi and Suyama."

Mihashi jumped up from the couch so fast he nearly fell over and he and Abe retreated to the far corner of the room, both blushing, while Suyama and Sakaeguchi gulped nervously. Seeing their fearful expressions, Tajima's grin widened, eyes flashing mischievously. Hanai watched him, sweating nervously. He could already tell this was going to end badly...

***  *  *  *  ***

"Ow, ow, _owwww_!" Sakaeguchi winced, and Suyama quickly stammered out an apology, adjusting his position to be closer to Sakaeguchi, who had turned to glare at Tajima. "This is  _your_  fault! Come help us!" Sakaeguchi's hair was currently caught in the zipper of Suyama's jacket, preventing them both from moving, lest it pull out Sakaeguchi's hair. Tajima was watching with an amused smile, clearly enjoying himself.

The rest of the team had migrated into the kitchen to work on their homework, and Tajima and Hanai—the only two left in the living room beside Suyama and Sakaeguchi—could hear Izumi and Mizutani bickering, while Abe, in an annoyed tone, tried to help Mihashi with his English homework. Hanai and Tajima turned back to the problem in front of them, Hanai frowning. "Should we just unzip the zipper? Will that free his hair?"

Tajima shrugged. "I dunno. It's worth a try, I guess." The two boys moved to the couch, Hanai leaning over the back while Tajima stood beside the armrest, leaning over to tilt Sakaeguchi's head slightly away from Suyama's chest, causing him to give a cry of protest. "Hanai, you unzip it, and at the same time, I'll pull his hair free," Tajima instructed, Hanai nodding in agreement of the plan.

Getting into position, Hanai grabbed the zipper and shared a look with Tajima. The cleanup waited a moment before meeting his gaze and nodding. "Now." Hanai pulled the zipper while Tajima simultaneously pulled Sakageuchi's hair safely out of the way. The second baseman gave a sigh of relief, pushing himself off the couch and petting his uninjured hair carefully as if to make sure it was still intact. He turned to give Tajima a thou-shalt-die glare, pointing at him accusingly. "Never again." He turned on his heel and walked out, quickly followed by Suyama, and a moment later, the door was heard slamming.

"Well..." Tajima turned to Hanai with a wide smile. "That was fun!"

Hanai face-palmed. "Oh, for God's sake... You're a complete idiot."

"I know." Tajima winked at him as he moved towards the kitchen. "But that's why you love me!"


	17. Drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abe gets drunk off his ass on his birthday. Since when is he so flirty?!

**Character(s):**  Abe Takaya, Mihashi Ren, Nishiura team members.

 **Pairing(s):** Abemiha.

* * *

"How did this happen?!" Mihashi exclaimed, tearing his hands through his already messed ginger hair nervously. He turned to look back at his teammates with an expression of utter exasperation on his face, any signs of his usual timidness absent from his worried features. " _What_  did you guys do to Abe-kun?"

Tajima laughed sheepishly. "Ah, well, ya see... we decided it would be fun to take him out for his birthday, and things got a little, um...  _crazy_  after midnight." They all turned to look at the catcher in question, who was busy walking in lazy circles, giggling quietly and staring at a lightning bug that was perched on his fingertip, clearly drunk off his ass. The question was: "How did he get like  _this_?"

Mihashi crossed his arms after asking with a worried shake of the head. "Never mind that: How many drinks did he  _have_?"

"Ehh..." Mizutani frowned, slowly counting off on his fingers, clearly tipsy. Mihashi's face morphed into a look of horror when he reached his other hand. "Are you serious?!" He turned back to Abe—who had sat down and was hugging his shoe to his chest and sobbing—with a panicked wail. "W-what are we supposed to do? I don't k-know how to d-d-deal with this!" His stammer was back as he dissolved into a complete mess, wringing his shirt between his fingers anxiously.

Hanai—the only one seemingly still sober—clapped the ginger on the shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, Mihashi; Abe will be fine, apart from a wicked hangover. He just needs to go home, drink some water, and get to bed."

"A-are you sure?" Mihashi pressed, glancing over at the intoxicated catcher disbelievingly. Abe looked like he would need a  _lot_  more than water in the state he was in... He was currently trying to stand up but he kept taking his hands off the ground at the wrong time and face-planting. No matter how many times he did it, he couldn't seem to correct his mistake and just kept trying again and again. It was like watching a baby deer trying to stand up for the first time, not to mention the shoe he'd been cuddling was discarded in a puddle of melted ice-cream a few feet away.  _Excellent_.

Tajima, Izumi, and Sakaeguchi were snickering at the whole thing, filming him with their phones—no doubt to use as blackmail later. Hanai shot them all dirty looks but nodded at Mihashi nevertheless. "I'm positive. Just... you go and take him home. We'll cover for him with Coach Momoe so he doesn't have to go to practice tomorrow, alright?"

"Alright," Mihashi replied uncertainly. "But I'm  _really_  not sure—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the rest of the group had disappeared down the street, leaving Mihashi alone with his drunk burden. He stared after them helplessly, letting out a squeak as he realized they'd dumped their problem onto him: AKA Abe, who had collapsed on his back in the grass and was staring up at the sky with an awed expression. Mihashi wandered closer, eyeing the catcher warily, unsure how to approach the situation. "Um, h-hey, Abe-kun..."

The boy's eyes took a moment to focus on Mihashi as he turned to stare over at him. He looked completely confused, squinting up at him through the dark, even though Mihashi had moved closer to allow the boy to see him better. "Abe-kun, a-are you, um... okay?"

Abe blinked a few times at the question, brows furrowing as he continued staring at Mihashi like he was an alien. Finally, his eyes widened in what Mihashi hoped was recognition and smiled widely. "Are you an angel?"

"W-wh-what?" Mihashi stammered, taking a startled step back as Abe stumbled to his feet, tilting slightly as his balance shifted unsteadily. So much for the recognition theory. Mihashi stumbled backward as Abe careened over to him, stopping about a foot too close and leaning his head down so they were eye level. "Oh, 's you, 'hashi," he slurred in (finally) hazy recognition. "Where 'm I?"

"I-in the park," Mihashi stuttered in response, trying to regain his composure. It was hard with Abe so close. "U-um... you— you're drunk. I n-need to take you home, s-so..." He let out a strangled squeal as Abe fell against his chest, an arm snaking around his waist as the full weight of the taller boy pressed against him. "A-Abe-kun, w-wh-what— Eh, you're t-t-too close!" He pushed the catcher back with a cherry red blush dusting his features. "I r-really need to take you home  _now_."

"Why?" Abe slurred with a drunken grin. "Are you go'ng to stay over?"

"EH?!" Mihashi covered his face with his hands, face burning. He could tell this was going to be a  _long_ night...

***  *  *  *  ***

Abe woke with a splitting headache. Being nailed in the skull with a baseball would've hurt less than this killer migraine. As soon as he so much as tried to open his eyes, a fresh spike of pain stabbed his brain and Abe groaned, covering his eyes with the pillow and waiting for his nausea to die down. _What happened last night? I can't remember a damn thing..._

Struggling to hold in his vomit, Abe just barely managed to drag himself out from under the covers, shivering as the cold morning air hit his skin. He stumbled into the bathroom and collapsed against the sink, splashing cold water against his face repeatedly in an effort to both wake  _and_  sober up, but all it really did was make him cold, so he slunk back to bed with a groan. "I'm never drinking  _again_..."

He collapsed across the mattress and tried to pull the blanket over his head, but it was stuck. He tugged on it stubbornly, but it still wouldn't budge. "What the hell." He turned to grab the blanket with both hands persistently—and nearly screamed when an arm fell across his lap. "Oh  _God_  no," he groaned. " _Tell me_  I didn't sleep with a stranger last night..."

Holding his breath with a thin hope that it was just a cat or something that had somehow snuck into his room, Abe reached over and pulled back the blanket—and had a mild heart-attack. "Oh  _no_..." He covered his face with his hands, shaking his head with the new hope that this was all just a dream and he would wake up, extremely hungover but  _alone_ , in a few seconds. "No no no  _no_... Tell me I  _didn't_!"

But the proof was—unfortunately—all there: Mihashi, curled up in one of Abe's shirts and a pair of his boxers, peacefully sleeping beside him. As if  _that_ incriminating evidence wasn't enough, Abe himself was only wearing underwear and socks, and Mihashi's neck was covered in what looked suspiciously (he  _hoped_  he was wrong) like hickeys.

Abe felt strongly like throwing up now. _Oh God. I slept with my best friend._

The world was ending. Any second now, meteors would come crashing through the ceiling to end his miserable existence before his suffering could continue. What had happened the night before? Had Mihashi gotten drunk, too? Abe couldn't for the life of him remember anything past his second drink at the bar: Everything was fuzzy and distorted like static on an old TV.  _Anything_  could've happened.

Apparently, no gods were listening to his please, because—to make matters a thousand times worse—Mihashi chose that moment to wake up. He slumped into a sitting position against the pillows, letting out a loud yawn and stretching his hands above his head. The sleeves of Abe's shirt slid down and pooled around his armpits.  _God, he really is tiny._  Everything he was wearing was huge on him, in fact, and  _all_  of it belonged to Abe, who was currently trying not to move or breathe as the boy in front of him shifted and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

He was debating whether or not to speak when Mihashi made the decision for him. He turned his head and started seeing Abe beside him. "Oh, Abe-kun, you're awake now!" He beamed happily, confusing Abe even more. "How are you feeling? Does your head hurt?"

"I'm, uhhhh... fine." He studied the pitcher as if he were a snake poised to bite. If what he thought happened had  _actually_  happened, Mihashi shouldn't have been this carefree. _He's always nervous and flighty: there's no_ way _he would act like this if we really..._  Abe's face flushed and he quickly looked away to hide it, his brain conjuring up an image he was  _definitely_ not drunk enough to handle. _Exactly how much did I drink last night?_

He didn't realize he'd asked the question aloud until Mihashi supplied an answer. "Oh, um, Mizutani-kun told me he stopped counting after ten..."

Abe's voice came out in a shrill crack. " _Ten_?!" He winced as the loud sound caused his skull to vibrate painfully. "Oh, Gooddddd, I want to  _die_..."

"E-eh, I'll get you some water!" Mihashi yelped, stutter back as he leaped out of the bed and rushed out of the room. He was back and thrusting a half-full glass into Abe's hands a moment later, fidgeting nervously. "Here, i-it's from the tap, but it's, um, all I— I could f-find." His mouth had turned down into his typical stressed look as he shifted from foot to foot like a nervous child.

To appease him, Abe took a sip and instantly felt cool relief as his sore throat was soothed. He gulped down the whole glass, and another after Mihashi refilled it, before finally setting the glass on his side-table. "Thanks..." He stared up at the still-fidgeting Mihashi with a nervous look. "So... I guess we need to talk about what happened last night..."

Mihashi jumped. "Oh! Um, y-yes, I guess..." He squeezed his eyes shut and fell into an apologetic bow that caused Abe to jump back in surprise. "I'm v-very sorry!"

"Huh?" Abe shot him a look. "What the heck are you apologizing for?" He grimaced and ran a hand through his hair, not wanting to breach the subject that had been lingering in the back of his mind. "I should be the one apologizing... I'm sincerely sorry for whatever I did to you last night." He lowered his head in embarrassment.

The pitcher blinked at him, confused, "T-to me? Wha— What do, um, d-do you m-mean?"

"Huh?" Abe looked up at him again with a sliver of hope. "You mean... nothing happened last night?"

"Well... I— I wouldn't s-say that..." Mihashi stammered uncertainly, shifting from foot to foot again. "First I h-had to drag you— you back from the park, and th-then, on the way, you— you threw up all o-over me, so when we got here, I had— had to borrow your clothes, and these were t-the only ones I could find, s-so I put them on, and then wh-when I tried to— to leave, you gr-grabbed me and I— I fell and you wouldn't let me g-go, so I— I guess I f-fell asleep here..." He finished the rambling statement by bowing again. "I di-didn't mean to intrude..."

Abe felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He collapsed back on the back, throwing an arm over his eyes with a relieved laugh. "So we  _didn't_  do anything... What a relief."

Mihashi blushed. "We-well, um... You— you wouldn't stop, um, k-k-kissing me last night..." He covered one of the bruises on his neck with a shaking hand. "You w-were sleeping, and I— I di-didn't want— want to wake you up, so I l-let you do it..." He looked at his feet, face turning a brighter shade of red. "S-s-sorry... You're probably m-mad..."

 _Mad at myself, maybe._  Abe felt like kicking himself. How could the boy have even thought he would blame him? He was a tremendous idiot—both of them were. "Mihashi, I'm so,  _so_  sorry. You should've woken me up! If I had known, I—"

"It's—" Mihashi interrupted haltingly. "It's, um, it's okay." He managed a wobbly smile. "It— It wasn't, u-um, that bad, r-really..."

Abe stared at him in shock, thinking perhaps his ears had malfunctioned. His brain certainly had. "It— it wasn't?" Surely this wasn't actually happening.

The pitcher shook his head, seeming to gain a bit more confidence. "It was— It was ac-actually— actually okay..." He swallowed hard and glanced down at his shuffling feet. "But I— I should probably l-leave now, if you're— you're o-okay on your own..." He started to backpedal towards the door, but Abe stopped him by grabbing his wrist. "Wait!"

He cleared his throat awkwardly as the ginger stared back at him wide-eyed, loosening his grip. "I— I mean, um... would you please stay?" He felt his face flush and glanced away in embarrassment. "My family isn't home and I, um, would like it if you stayed..."

For a moment, Mihashi just stared at him while Abe stared at the floor, but then his face morphed into one of his rare, bright smiles. "Of course!" His smile softened as his hand twisted to wrap around Abe's. When he spoke again, his voice held no hint of a stutter. "I'll stay with you however long you want."


	18. Overheated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's possibly the hottest day of the year, and Abe finds that his usual filter is completely absent. This is really dangerous...

**Character(s):**  Mihashi Ren, Abe Takaya.

 **Pairing(s):**  Abemiha.

* * *

 It’s perhaps the hottest day of the year, and practice has been cancelled. It’s a good thing, because Tajima has been complaining nonstop all day about the heat, and nobody wants to listen to him anymore.

Abe doesn’t want Mihashi to get heat-stroke going home, so he brings him over to his place, which is much closer to the school. Nobody is home—his parents are still at work—so they get drinks and sprawl out on the living room floor, where the AC is strongest.

Abe takes out his homework immediately, but Mihashi seems too overheated to focus. He’s sitting right next to the vent, letting cold air blow up his back. Abe finds himself glancing over at him, even though he tries not to. Sweat drips down Mihashi’s forehead and across the skin of his collarbone, slowly disappearing under the collar of his shirt, which he pulls at uncomfortably.

Abe traces the motion with his eyes, head going fuzzy when he imagines capturing the beads of moisture with his tongue. The heat must really be getting to him.

“Abe,” Mihashi’s voice is high and raspy, “can’t we turn up the AC anymore?”

It’s one of the only times Abe has heard him talk without stuttering. The heat must be getting to him, too. “My parents don’t like messing with the thermostat. Sorry.” He isn’t quite sure he would want to make it cooler, anyway. The way Mihashi’s skin is flushed and the way his lips are slightly parted is making it painfully clear to Abe that he’s in a dangerous position. When Mihashi looks at him, he quickly averts his gaze. “Do something to take your mind off it.”

“Are you... mad at me?”

“ _What_?” Mihashi’s words startle Abe enough to draw his gaze back to him. “Why would you think that?”

Mihashi bites his lip. “Well… lately, you— you seem like you f-flinch when I get close to you, and you try to— you avoid touching me, so I thought… you must be mad.”

Abe puts down his pencil, because he might throw it if he doesn’t. “I’m not mad at you, Mihashi.” He's been staring at him for too long. “You probably won’t believe me, but it’s something entirely different than anger…” If he’s smart, he’ll get the hint. Abe doesn’t want to voice his feelings. He doesn’t want to be the one to break their friendship.

“What… do you mean” Mihashi moves closer. _Dammit_ , how dense is he? “Please e-explain it— explain it to me…”

His hand is on Abe’s arm, sending jolts of warm electricity down his skin. _Dangerous_. If he pulls away, Mihashi will definitely think he’s mad. He can’t overreact or he’ll make him panic. What is he supposed to do?

“Abe—“

“Don’t say it.” Abe has turned around and put his hand over Mihashi’s mouth before he fully processes the loaded meaning of what he’s about to say. “I can’t hear you say my name right now.”

He moves his hand, but Mihashi doesn’t understand. “Abe, what’s wrong?”

He can’t hold back anymore. It’s Mihashi’s own fault: Abe tried to warn him. He pulls Mihashi towards him by the shirt, kissing him even though his brain screams not to. It’s too hot like this, pressed chest-to-chest, but too good to stop. Mihashi opens his mouth, trying to talk, but Abe’s tongue steals his words away. He won’t let him talk—won’t let him ruin the perfection of the moment. If Abe hadn’t been sure of his feelings before, he is now.

 _No. This isn’t right._ Abe’s mouth is on his neck, sucking at beads of sweat. _Stop. Stop now._

Mihashi is holding onto his shirt, gasping out incoherent words. He isn’t stopping him. Why isn’t he stopping him?

His skin is blazing. Abe’s hands roam under his T-shirt, moving to the cold skin of his back for some relief. It’s too hot.

“—be. Abe,”  Mihashi croaks, losing his voice. “W-Wait… please—“

 _Stop._ Abe throws himself back with all the willpower he can muster, gasping for air like a deep-sea diver. His head is fuzzy and he can’t look at Mihashi properly. “I like you.” What the hell is he saying? “I really like you.”

Mihashi stares at him, still flushed and panting, and doesn’t say anything. There are red marks all over his neck and collarbone: Abe had gotten too carried away. What the hell had he just done?

“I’m sorry…” He covers his face. “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry. You should go.”

“But—“ Mihashi stops, then starts again, more firmly. “Why— Why didn’t you t-tell me before?”

“I couldn’t. The only reason I’m telling you is because I can’t think right now.” His head is spinning. Mihashi needs to go, before he loses control again. “If you’re going to run, hurry.”

“I won’t.” He says it surprisingly adamantly. “If— If it’s you, I— I d-don’t mind…”

His face is redder than before, and for some reason, it makes Abe laugh. “Say it with some conviction, at least…” He raises his head again, meeting Mihashi’s embarrassed gaze. “What I did… those are the kinds of things I want to do with you, the person I like. If you hated it, you shouldn’t say such dangerous things to me right now.”

He’s still so close, Abe isn’t sure how much longer he’ll last, but Mihashi isn’t moving an inch.

“I s-said already…” He bites his lip, which doesn’t help matters at all. “I-if it’s you, I don’t mind.”

Abe’s heart skips a beat. He moves half an inch closer to him. “Mihashi… don’t say that if you don’t mean it.” He locks eyes with him. “Tell me honestly: _do you mean it_?” Even with his heartbeat in his ears and his head spinning in circles, he _has_ to be sure.

“Y—“ Mihashi takes a deep breath and tries again. “Yes.”

That’s enough confirmation for him. Abe takes Mihashi by the shoulders and kisses him again, slowly this time. He lets out a shaky breath, putting his hands on Abe’s forearms when he pushes him down.

It’s hot, but not in an unpleasant way. This is the type of overheated he doesn’t mind being.

“Abe— _Hah_ … n-not t— not there...” Mihashi’s words are high and breathy, interspersed with shaky exhales.

“Name...” Abe murmured against the hollow of his throat, which he’s discovered is Mihashi’s weak spot. “Use my first name.”

“T-Tak— _Ah_!” Mihashi’s fingers clutch desperately at fistfuls of his shirt when Abe bites down gently. “Taka—ya.”

“You’re this sensitive?” Abe moves his mouth farther down, gently sucking on the skin over his collarbone. Mihashi makes a sound caught between a groan and a whine that sets his heart racing. If he’d known this is the kind of reaction he would get, he would’ve confessed much sooner…

He moves back to Mihashi’s mouth, capturing his breath in a heated kiss. He wants to move faster—to go farther—but he doesn’t want to scare him. The heat is still getting to both of them. The pitcher would’ve lost his composure a long time ago, otherwise. Still, Abe can see from the look in his eyes exactly what Mihashi does and doesn’t want.

Tugging at his shirt, Abe stubbornly refuses to move his mouth. Mihashi isn’t participating as actively as Abe wishes. “Off.” He can't even speak properly.

Mihashi understands and his shirt is on the floor in three seconds. Abe can’t decide if he wants to touch him or just keep looking at him. This is a side of his pitcher he hasn’t seen before: flushed, vulnerable, surrendering everything to him. His heart feels like it’s going to explode.

“Ren.” He says his name for the first time, just to test it out. Mihashi’s face turns even redder. He can’t seem to meet Abe’s hungry gaze. “Ren,” he repeats, “do you like me, too?”

“What— what’s with s-suddenly asking that?” Mihashi mumbles, turning his head away to hide his red face. “Of course I… l-like you…” He’s blushing so hard, even his ears are red. “You— You always worry and take care of me, even though you don’t have to… I g-guess I— I’ve… l-liked you for a while…”

For a moment, Abe can’t believe what he’s hearing. He almost wants to break down crying, because he’s waited _this long_ for nothing. But he doesn’t want to cry, because he’s too happy right now and doesn’t want to ruin it. Instead, he straddles Mihashi’s waist, pressing his fingertips against his lips. “I really, _really_ like you.”

He kisses him again, just to cement the statement. No matter what Mihashi can handle, Abe knows he’ll give him everything.


	19. Whispered Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first time he said it, Abe barely caught the whispered words.

**Character(s):**  Mihashi Ren, Abe Takaya.

**Pairing(s):**  Abemiha.

* * *

  ****The first time was after practice, on a day the team had been dismissed early due to a bad rainstorm. Mihashi went home with Abe—whose house was closer—to avoid getting drenched. Normally, Abe would’ve scolded him for not bringing an umbrella, but they’d been so busy preparing for the Kōshien that he couldn’t really nag him about something so trivial.

Abe’s parents were at work for the day and his brother was out at a friend’s, leaving him and Mihashi alone. It wasn’t something they weren’t used to, but that day, it felt different. With the rain creating a gentle drone against the windows, standing inside looking out felt like being in another world.

“It’s… raining really hard,” Mihashi noted, tugging on the edges of his shirt anxiously.

Abe could practically read his mind. “Don’t worry. If it doesn’t stop, you can just stay here for the night. We won’t be able to practice, but you have homework with you, right?”

Mihashi nodded hesitantly. “Yeah, but… is that r-really okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Abe shut the curtains, grabbing Mihashi loosely by the wrist. “Come on, let’s go to my room and study for a while. It’s boring just watching the rain.” He was feeling a bit nervous, too, but letting it show would only make Mihashi more anxious. Still, they would be in his room alone together…

As time went on, Mihashi had gotten more comfortable with the team—Abe in particular. They had started dating only a month earlier, when a perplexed Abe had finally realized the ‘uneasy’ feeling he always had was actually infatuation. Even when he wasn’t around, Abe couldn’t stop thinking about Mihashi. His heart would race and his palms would sweat and his chest would get unbearably tight. Their relationship wasn’t that new, but being alone together was still a major thing.

Watching him lay out on the floor, diligently studying, made Abe’s pulse quicken to a roar in his ears. What was it about those slender, calloused fingers and gentle frown that had him so worked up? Averting his gaze didn’t help at all. Abe’s head was stuffed full of Mihashi. The last thing he wanted to do was study, but wasn’t it still too soon to move forward in their relationship? Mihashi was such a timid person, even holding hands felt like something to be  treated with caution.

“Abe?” Mihashi was staring at him. Shit, how long had he spaced off for? “Are… are you okay? You looked like... like you were t-thinking really hard.”

“I’m fine,” he said a bit too quickly. “Just a bit tired.”

“Maybe you should… should get some r-rest,” Mihashi suggested carefully. “We had… a tough practice today. I’ll study on… on my own.”

“Yeah… I might.” Abe seriously needed to clear his head. “You’ll be fine?”

Mihashi nodded quickly. “Yes! I’ll… be okay!”

Abe collapsed in bed without being told twice. He pulled the covers up to his head and tried to clear his mind. It wasn’t like Mihashi hated being touched by him, but he was undoubtedly timid when they spent time together. Although he knew it was stupid, Abe felt a little hurt. Why didn’t Mihashi open up to him more? He was the closest person to him, and yet Mihashi still hadn’t completely come out of his shell. Abe wanted to be able to hold hands and talk easily. Was that impossible?

Mihashi was more relaxed around him, without a doubt, but Abe wanted him to be completely at ease. It was selfish, but he wanted to see all the sides of Mihashi that no one else did...

“Abe… are you awake?”

Abe was almost startled to hear Mihashi so close, but he didn’t move. A part of him was curious about what would happen next. What was Mihashi like when he thought Abe was asleep? It was a rare opportunity to find out.

“Abe?” Mihashi tapped his cheek gently, and Abe struggled not to make a face. “You’re really asleep…”

Fingers interlocked with his, Mihashi’s gentle breath tickling his face. “I know you worked hard today… Thanks.”

_What is he saying? This idiot…_ Abe fought back a smile. It’s you who works the hardest. _Why can’t you say this to me when I’m awake? I thought I understood you better than everyone else, but that isn’t true at all…_

“Takaya… I’m going to say something brave.”

_My first name, he said my first name…!_ Abe’s heart was beating out of his chest. _What the hell is he going to say? I might have a heart attack at this rate._

“I’m… I’m sorry I can’t say it to to you when you’re awake yet, b-but…” Mihashi sucked in a breath. His words were barely a whisper. “...I love you.”

Abe’s chest nearly exploded. He couldn’t help it anymore: that was just too much! He grabbed Mihashi around the middle and pulled him onto the bed, keeping a secure hold around his waist. _'...I love you.' '...I love you.'_ The words kept echoing in his head on endless repeat. 

“Y-you were… you were a-awake?!” Mihashi stammered, face steaming against Abe’s neck. “You h… you h-heard it a-all…?”

Abe ignored him, burying his face in Mihashi’s hair. “You should’ve said it to me sooner. I love you too, idiot.” He took Mihashi’s hand and squeezed it. “‘I love you…’ Next time, you shouldn’t whisper it.”

After a moment of hesitation, Mihashi’s had squeezed back. “Okay… Next time, t-then... I’ll shout it.”

**Author's Note:**

> A collection of one-shots I'd previously written because I just love the adorable dorkiness of Oofuri


End file.
